March 20
March 20 is the 79th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (80th in Leap years). There are 286 days remaining. Events * 1413 - Henry V becomes King of England * 1602 - The Dutch East India Company is established. * 1739 - Nadir Shah occupies Delhi in India and sacks the city stealing the jewels of the Peacock Thrown. * 1760 - The "Great Fire" of Boston destroyers 349 buildings. * 1815 - Napoleon enters Paris after escaping from Elba with a regular army of 140,000 and a volunteer force of around 200,000 beginning his "Hundred Days" rule. * 1848 - King Ludwig I of Bavaria abdicates * 1852 - Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin is published * 1899 - At Sing Sing prison, Martha M. Place becomes the first woman executed in an electric chair. * 1913 - Sung Chiao-jen, a founder of the Chinese nationalist party (KMT), is wounded in an assassination attempt and dies 2 days after. * 1914 - In New Haven, Connecticut the first international figure skating championship takes place. * 1922 - The USS Langley is commissioned as the first United States Navy aircraft carrier. * 1933 - Dachau, the first Nazi concentration camp, is completed * 1952 - The United States Senate ratifies a peace treaty with Japan. * 1956 - Tunisia gains independence from France * 1964 - The precursor of the European Space Agency, ESRO (European Space Research Organization) is established per an agreement signed on June 14, 1962. * 1976 - Patty Hearst is found guilty of armed robbery of a San Francisco Bank. * 1985 - Libby Riddles becomes the first women to win the 1,135-mile Iditarod dog sled race. * 1987 - The Food and Drug Administration approves anti-AIDS drug AZT. * 1990 - Ferdinand Marcos's widow, Imelda Marcos, goes on trial for bribery, embezzlement, and racketeering. * 1995 - Terrorist incident: Members of the Aum Supreme Truth release sarin gas in the Tokyo on five separate subway trains killing 12 and injuring around 5,500. * 1996 - In Los Angeles, California, Erik and Lyle Menendez are found guilty of first-degree murder for the shotgun killing of their parents. * 2000 - Jamil Abdullah Al-Amin, a former Black Panther, is captured after gun battle that left a sheriff's deputy dead. * 2003 - 2003 invasion of Iraq: The United States and three other countries invade Iraq. Births * 43 BC - Ovid, poet (+ 17/18) * 1770 - Friedrich Hšlderlin, German poet, novelist, and dramatist (+ 1843) * 1811 - Napoleon II of France (+ 1832) * 1823 - Ned Buntline, "dime novelist", publisher, writer, publicist (+ 1886) * 1828 - Henrik Ibsen, playwright and dramatist (+ 1906) * 1856 - Frederick W. Taylor, inventor, efficiency expert * 1874 - Bšrries von MŸnchhausen, poet (+ 1945) * 1890 - Beniamino Gigli, tenor (+ 1957) * 1890 - Lauritz Melchior, opera singer (+ 1973) * 1904 - B. F. Skinner, behavioral psychologist (+ 1990) * 1906 - Ozzie Nelson, actor, band leader (+ 1975) * 1908 - Sir Michael Redgrave, actor (+ 1985) * 1915 - Rudolf KirchschlŠger, Austrian President (+ 2000) * 1917 - Dame Vera Lynn, actress, singer * 1921 - Rudolf Noelte, film director (+ 2002) * 1921 - Sister Rosetta Tharpe, singer (+ 1973) * 1922 - Carl Reiner, director, producer, actor, comedian * 1928 - Fred Rogers, children's television host (+ 2003) * 1934 - Willie Brown, mayor of San Francisco, California * 1937 - Jerry Reed, country musician * 1939 - Brian Mulroney, eighteenth Prime Minister of Canada * 1948 - Bobby Orr, ice hockey player * 1950 - William Hurt, actor * 1958 - Holly Hunter, actress * 1957 - Spike Lee, film director, actor * 1964 - Natacha Atlas, Belgian singer * 1964 - Tracy Chapman, musician * 1974 - Carsten Ramelow, football player, National Team of Germany * 1974 - Paula Garces, actress * 1976 - Chester Bennington, musician ("Linkin Park") Deaths * 1413 - King Henry IV of England * 1568 - Albert of Prussia, first duke of Prussia * 1727 - Sir Isaac Newton, physicist * 1925 - George Nathaniel Curzon (Lord Curzon), British statesman * 1926 - Princess Louise of Sweden * 1974 - Chet Huntley, television journalist * 1990 - Lev Yashin, Soviet football goalkeeper * 1997 - Tony Zale, Boxer * 2000 - Gene Eugene, actor, singer Holidays and observances * An equinox usually occurs on this day. * The second day of Quinquatria in ancient Rome, held in honor of Minerva. * International Birthday
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